EIA - In 2018, the average annual Henry Hub natural gas spot price increased to $3.16 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), up 15 cents from the 2017 average.

PLATTS - The global LNG shipping spot market is expected to remain strong in 2019 on the back of higher spot LNG demand and trading volume growth outpacing LNG vessel supply, according to analysts and ship brokers.

WBG - Global economic growth is projected to soften from a downwardly revised 3 percent in 2018 to 2.9 percent in 2019 amid rising downside risks to the outlook, the World Bank said on Tuesday. International trade and manufacturing activity have softened, trade tensions remain elevated, and some large emerging markets have experienced substantial financial market pressures.

PLATTS - India's 12 major government-owned ports handled around 78.24 million mt of thermal coal between April to December period, up 17% from the same period a year ago, according to latest data by the Indian Ports Association, or IPA released

PLATTS - The US Energy Information Administration forecasts that Venezuelan oil production will fall below 1 million b/d in the second half of 2019, according to Erik Kreil, an international energy analysis team leader with the EIA.

REUTERS - Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $57.86 per barrel at 0538 GMT, up 80 cents, or 1.4 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures CLc1 were at $48.77 per barrel, up 81 cents, or 1.7 percent.

OGJ - US commercial crude oil inventories, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, remained virtually unchanged for the week ended Dec. 28, 2018,

REUTERS - Iraq said on Friday it was committed to the OPEC+ output-cutting deal and would keep its oil production at 4.513 million barrels per day for the first half of 2019.

BLOOMBERG - Home to the world’s biggest crude reserves, Venezuela exported 1.245 million barrels a day last year, the lowest since 1990, as production tumbles amid an economic and humanitarian crisis. Financial sanctions imposed by the U.S. have further tightened the screws on Venezuela’s ailing economy, while creditors have sought seize its assets including oil cargoes and its prized Citgo refineries in the U.S.

PE - A steadily growing fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers purpose-designed to combat the ice floes of the Northern Sea route is giving the giant Yamal plant in the Arctic Circle a long-term competitive advantage, as the vessels deliver gas into Asia and Western Europe in conditions that were until recently considered too hostile.

BLOOMBERG - “The question is how much gas Russia ends up delivering into the European markets -- that will be a key determinant,” said Murray Douglas, research director for European gas at Wood Mackenzie Ltd. “Russia expressed publicly it wants to keep deliveries. That could generate a real collapse in prices in the summer months, when we will see a big LNG supply.”

GT - Qatar's producer price index (PPI) – a measure of the average selling prices received by the domestic producers for their output – surged 18.9% on an yearly basis but reported a sharp 5.7% month-on-month decline during the review period, said the figures released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS).

GT - A robust expansion in foreign portfolio and other investments helped Qatar report about 9% year-on-year growth in total overseas investments into the country during the third quarter (Q3) of 2018, notwithstanding the ongoing diplomatic and trade embargo, according to the official estimates.

U.S. BLS - Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 312,000 in December, and the unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, food services and drinking places, construction, manufacturing, and retail trade.

BHGE - U.S. Rig Count is down 8 rigs from last week to 1,075, with oil rigs down 8 to 877 and gas rigs unchanged at 198. Canada Rig Count is up 6 rigs from last week to 76, with oil rigs up 5 to 20 and gas rigs up 1 to 56.